MANILA, Philippines – Mayor Manuel Que of Dulag, Leyte, is having dinner in a Quezon City restaurant. He looks up and he sees the ceiling askew. His first instinct is to worry. 

“Akala ko malalaglag na. [Yun pala] ceiling decoration ito. Akala ko sa Yolanda to eh, Manila pala ito,” he said. (I thought it would fall but it turns out it was only a decoration. I thought I was still in a Yolanda-affected area.) 

Like many other local executives from the region, it’s the first time Que left the province since Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) ravaged the Visayas and parts of Mindanao more than a month ago. 

“Kung wala pa itong meeting na ito, hindi pa ako aalis. Every day laging busy, many people are looking for me: where is the mayor? We need this and that and that,” he told Rappler on Monday, December 16, day one of a 2-day forum hosted by Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), and Kaya Natin. 

(If they didn’t call this meeting, I wouldn’t leave. Every day we’re busy.) 

Funds, not debriefing sessions  

The 2-day event brought together at least 50 mayors from different Visayas towns to help them map out what their towns need and to hopefully, find private donors to fund those needs. 

A session was also devoted to stress debriefing since the mayors themselves were victims of Yolanda . 

But for 60-year-old Que, who is on his last term as mayor, the stress debriefing wasn’t necessary. “Palagay ko, hindi na mafe-feel yung debriefing eh, matanda na,” he told Rappler. (I don’t think a stress debriefing will work anymore. I’m old.) 

Non-governmental groups have already visited Dulag to conduct stress debriefing sessions for survivors, particularly the young. 

But what he wants more than anything else, is funding for his town. Que says it will take at least P500 million to rehabilitate Dulag. 

“That is now my big, big problem. They have nowhere to go, they will look for the mayor. We have to feed them, give them shelter. The problem now is that we don’t have the money. So we are now appealing on the local, national, international NGO if they can help us,” he said. 

Helping LGUs

During the event, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas detailed national government’s plans to rehabilitate local government units (LGUs). Roughly P35 billion will be spent to help the LGUs fix town halls, public markets, and other civic centers. 

Of that P35 billion, around P2 billion will be released in the first year of rehabilitation efforts. Another P1 billion will be later released to fund the rehabilitation of facilities in the barangay level. But Roxas said the amounts are only grants, for now. 

“Sinisigurado [ni President Benigno Aquino III] na may kakayahan ang gobyerno na pondohin ito,” he added. (The president wants to make sure we have the money to fund this.) 

Another option, said Roxas, is to release funds as loans payable in 30 years. The national government can opt to shoulder the interest of the loans. DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero said national government is still sorting out the exact figures that will be allocated to rehabilitate LGUs. 

Que told Rappler he understands national government’s resources are spread thin, which is why he’s hoping to get backing from non-governmental organizations.  “If we will have to wait for government, it will take years. Why? Lots of documents are needed before we can go on,” he said. 

The plans, the Dulag mayor said, are already there. It’s the funding that’s missing. With dozens of other municipalities that need as much help as Dulag, Que isn’t sure where to start. 

Most members of the 48,000 Dulag population were left homeless. Que himself holds office inside a tent because the municipal hall was made roofless by Yolanda. 

“I just don’t know what is step one. What’s in my mind is that hopefully, there are private companies who will help us,” he said. –Rappler.com